Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-08-19
A GHOST STORY
From the New York Post.

The session Of the court (.tin one Of
the adjoining counties'1 was over
The judge had invited the bar to take
supper with him at his fine old resi-
dence, about FIVE miles from the court.
house village. And a fine supper ii
was, too; hot rolls, waff1es, Sally
Lunn, broiled chicken, nutty old ham
tomato salad ana no end OF other
toothsome dalnties.
"That looks like ghost" remark.
ed Coleman Chisholm May. I =.
"What? 'Where?" asked Mr.. Bill
lups, with slight start.
Mr.. Billups was a gentleman OF the
neighborhood, who had supped with
the lawyers, though not one of them.
He was rosy, plump, amiable little
man, whose cheeks reminded one o.
those Of a ground squirrel when filled
with acorns. He had, too, a way oil
turning quickly upon you his brisk,
bright, swapping little brown eyes.
cannot think of any other popularity
worth mentioning about him save his
persistent and scornful disbelief in
ghosts.
"What? Where?" he snapped,
turning to the counsellor.
"That little cedar down at the foot
OF the lawn; wait for another fash"
"Oh!" said Mr.. Billups, setting
himself back in his chair.
With that the company fell to tell.
ing ghost stories, Mr.. Billups protest.
ing; for, he urged, that by such mar
ratives we help to rivet the chains OF
superstition.
"Why, what's the harm?" asked
one OF the young ladies. "Who be-
ieves in such things? Surely no one
ercept--'' and she nodded in the
direction OF the buffers pantry.
II dol" sounded solemn and sep
ulchralthe voice OF Coleman Chish ohm
May, close by the ear OF Billups the
sceDtical and the scornful.
'The duce you do?-I beg your par
don, ladies' exclaimed Mr.. Billups,
briskly switching himself and his chair
a foot farther from the man who
could believe in such nonsense.
:'Yes," replied Mr.. May, slowly.
''time was when I was q doubter like
yourself. have been convinced"
You have seen one, I suppose; ard
it looked like q cedar bush by sheet
lightning!"
NO." rumbled the advocate from
the bottom OF his deep chest, II have
not seen; have head merely. Heard
the footsten, not seen the face''
The rosy-cheeked disbeliever in ap-
partitions switched his chair three
inches nearer the judge; but the ladies
drew theirs closer to Mr. May; and a
DELICIOUS shiver chilling their bloom,
begged him to tell them all about this
mysterious and invisible ghost.
"I'il bet fifty dollars it was a rat, I"
exclaimed Billups defantly.
"Wait till the evidence is in," re-
joined the sententious counsellor.
The sky was black, but each flash OF
lightning revealed vivid picture. The
straight.cut features of Coleman CHS
holm May in their stolid calm; the
pale face of the cluster of ladies who
leant forward with parted lips, breath
ing short, ready to scream should a
mouse but squeak; and for back
ground, the bench and bar, half doz-
en- strong, and Billups the scoffer.
"Once upon a time,' began Mr.. May,
II spent a month or so with some
friends in the county Of The gen.
tleman OF the house-a bachelor and
sheriff OF the county had his room in
an old wing of the residence, while his
mother and sisters occupied the main
building. For the first week of my
visit he was absent. I slept in
one OF two beds which stood
in the sheriff's chamber. This was on
the ground floor, and next it, the last
room OF the wing, was the kitchen A
AQng covered way or hall connected the
Kitchen with the dining room in the
Main building so that, any one going
from the kitchen to the front OF the
house passed by my room; but in Or
der to reach my door, one had to turn
into a second and shorter hall leading
out of the other. In other words, in
passing from the door of the kitchen
to the door OF the room occupied by
me, you traced the course of the letter
L. Ladies, do you follow me?"
EYES," they shivered in chill chorus.
*"The house was closed early, no ser
wants remaining within it. Well, one
,night-it was as dark as Erebus and
as still as death"
"Oo-oo-oo-"sh ivered the ladies.
"Pooh!" sneered Billups.
II was reading Poe's Raven in bed
@Once upon a midnight dreary,' you
know-and just as the clock began to
sound forth 12-ding! ding! ding! I
heard the tramp OF heavy footsteps"
Heavy footsteps! n'm?" squeaked
Billups the bold, in rather q shaky
treble.
Just then q sudden flash dispersed
the pitchy darkness Of the porch, and
some of the audience, though half.
blinded, thought they detected on the
lace OF the stolid story. teller the re-
mains of q diabolical grimace, as
though the fash had surprised him
making faces. He continued: h
Immersed as was in my room,
footsteps in the hall at that. hour did
not strike me as incongrous; but then
they came, resounding and shaking
the old house, up to my very door,
and there stopped" ~ ,." 49,,
The ladies gave little shrieks; for
the honey-suckle rustled under a sud-
den puff of wind. : The valiant Billups
laid his hand in a neighborly way
on the sleeve OF the judge, for they
were intimate. " ,,z5
II laid my book down and waited.
Not q sound! coughed. Dead 81
lence! Hellow, said I. Not a word!
Come in! No response, Who th---if
theladies will pardon the exact repro
duction Of my remarks?" ~ .. @s @.s
"Certainly!' ~
''Thank you. Who the ..duce are
you2 l Numbered. The stiffness Of
the tomb. My naturally irrascible